i am in love

[aggieman]

Originally Posted by geordisjd

I'm still waiting for mine. My Apple store has a few of them, but the online store is telling me I won't get mine till early March! It's probably because it's customized to the extreme, but still...
Maybe we can start a thread: post your MacBook Air pics

This is why I never order online unless I absolutely have to. Like macgirl said, I want the instant gratification.

[Lincoln]

Apparently the Air is now ready to go. Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.2 on Software Update this afternoon, and I discovered that it adds an application to your Utilities folder called 'Remote Install Mac OS X'. When opened, it tells you that Remote Install helps you install Mac OS X on your MacBook Air.

There was also a Leopard Graphics Update today.

- John

[chris]

Sorry to revive an old thread (being the admin I can certainly stretch the rules when I'd like).

Did you ever get the MacBook Air? Is it still in your plans? I was steadfast against the Air, but now I'm reconsidering. I have a Powerbook G4 that is starting to show it's age. My primary machine is a Mac Pro desktop, but I would like to eventually upgrade my portable. For some reason, my PB has been acting odd when trying to connect to WiFi networks. I thought it was isolated to Verizon, but it happened when I was on vacation. Seems to be an issue among other PB owners too. I'm thinking the combination of Leopard/PB are causing some sort WiFi issues. Drives me nuts. I did ok selling my old Mac desktop, so figured I'd do the same on the laptop front.

It's not so much the missing ports that bother me, but the lack of processing power. Then again, I compare it to my PB (using Macworld's tests) and it just smokes it. It also solves the problem of matte vs glossy, since there is no choice.

So did you make the leap into Air?

[macgirl]

Originally Posted by chris

Sorry to revive an old thread (being the admin I can certainly stretch the rules when I'd like).

i think we can cut you a little slack on that. but just a little.

i have not yet gotten the air, but i still plan to. something tells me that there are some upgrades pending for the air in the near future, so i'm trying to hold out a few more months. that, and i'm really hoping that there will be a larger-capacity 1.8" PATA drive available soon - i'm still a little hung up on an 80GB limit on what would be my one and only computer.

i think i'd come out just about even in processing power from my current macbook (2ghz core duo) compared to the air's 1.8ghz core 2 duo. the most complex things i do are minor photo editing (just in iphoto) and word processing, so i'm not too worried about that.

Chris: what powerbook do you have now? i miss my 12" G4 - kind of wish i'd never bothered to upgrade to a macbook. in truth, the jump from the G4 to the macbook really didn't make a huge difference given what little i do with my computer. but with everything you manage online, i'm sure the processor bump from a G4 to the Air will be a pleasant one for you...

[chris]

I use a 15" PowerBook 1.67 Ghz. Lucky for me, Macworld included this PB in their MacBook Air speed test. Leave it to Apple to decide what I need and don't need in a computer. I remember when they first bailed on floppy disk. People were up in arms. The more I look at my PB, the more I wonder if I even need all the various ports (Firewire, etc).

I'm at my desktop 95 percent of the day. The other 5 percent is in front my TiVo and I usually have laptop. When I travel, so does my business. Thank god for the iPhone during my last trip. It allowed for me to monitor the sites while on the beach. There was one drop in the sand, but the iPhone held up.

I'm starting to wonder if I need the horsepower of a Powerbook. Most of my work is light Photoshop work, ton of web browsing and Dreamweaver for editing stories. I also use my laptop for shooting products for reviews in my make shift photo studio (ie. my basement). I should probably take a look at the DPReview forums to see if anyone is using the Air with Olympus Studio. Basically, Olympus Studio allows me to shoot photos directly onto my laptop. This way, I can make adjustments on the fly and see the results immediately.

The MacBook Air keeps pulling me in....saying "Don't worry about my specs...."

-Chris

[geordisjd]

Originally Posted by chris

The MacBook Air keeps pulling me in....saying "Don't worry about my specs...."

-Chris

I have a 17-inch MBP and a MBA. Guess which one I use all the time now.
It is so nice to carry the light fellow around instead of the usual suitcase.



I take it to work every day and I can do anything I want with it. My single USB port is enhanced to 4 with a tiny Belkin hub. I use Photoshop all the time as I'm addicted to taking pictures. I have TV on wherever I go. I run Parallels. I never had to say "I wish I had a firewire port" so far. I got the external DVD drive, but don't use it very often. The screen is bright and clear. The keyboard is very comfortable. It's a great little computer.
If I want to do something processor-intensive, I use my MP at home. I don't have to edit movies on-the-go.

I'd say, go for it.

[geordisjd]

I downloaded the trial version of Olympus Studio on the MBA. Installed without problem, but it doesn't see my Nikon P80. I don't see any option to put the camera in "PC"mode.

[freakydeaky dutch bastard]

Very sexy!

Hey Jacqueline, what do you use to watch TV?

[chris]

Originally Posted by geordisjd

I downloaded the trial version of Olympus Studio on the MBA. Installed without problem, but it doesn't see my Nikon P80. I don't see any option to put the camera in "PC"mode.

Thanks. I wanted to confirm that Olympus Studio would see the USB connection and that it would be plenty fast. I did a Google search of Olympus Studio MacBook Air and I found this thread. Geez, Google has much love for EIC. Anyway, I loaded up Olympus Studio back on my PowerBook and tested the USB connection. At first it wasn't working, but that was a pilot error. It works just as fast as my firewire connection.

PC mode is an option on the E1 menus. I would have definitely gone Nikon, but I was an Olympus employee when I bought my e1. A good friend of mine has the D40. Just an awesome camera. No need for me to update my camera, but I will definitely jump to Nikon when the time comes.

BTW, after much research and feedback, I ordered the Air. I read review after review --- all the reviewers found things to complain about, but they were all still using the Air as their main rig. So, while the battery life wasn't up to par or they missed the extra USB ports, it didn't drive them back to their other laptops (which were MacBooks or MacBook Pros). Plus, from your feedback, it seems as if the Air has unseated your MBP as your favorite.

Here was my checklist:

• Ability to run Photoshop for light editing √
• Ability to run Dreamweaver √
• Good for web browsing √
• Easy to type on √
• Works with Olympus Studio √
• Supports Vista Aero effects √
• Offers nice speed bump from PB 1.67 √
• Good movie machine for flights √

The real hurdle for me was to get over the specs vs the less expensive MacBook. Then again, it was more Mac Book Air vs Mac Book Pro. I looked at the side of my PowerBook and outside of the Firewire port, I don't use anything but the USB/Ethernet ports. The Macworld speed charts say this will be a nice speed bump for me.

Finally, the design is something that only comes from Cupertino and for that I'm willing to pay a premium.

I missed the boat on overnight delivery for tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until Friday. Now I need to figure out if I'm going to get an Invisibile Shield or not. I was siked about getting the ManillaMac, but they are not even taking orders.

-Chris

[geordisjd]

Originally Posted by freakydeaky dutch bastard

Very sexy!

Hey Jacqueline, what do you use to watch TV?

I use the Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick TV Tune (about $140).